Notes: Aided, abetted and proofread by w3djyt. Fair warning for shameless smut.

The day began in a perfectly ordinary fashion for Kuchiki Byakuya. He rose with the sun, as was his custom during the summer months, and took to the training field for precisely an hour. He then bathed, quickly and efficiently, donned his uniform, and sat down to a simple breakfast before heading to work. Always the first to arrive at the office, he generally used this window of solitude to check over Renji's work from the day before and correct any lapses of literacy before sending it on to its destination. This was a task he preferred to keep private - Byakuya knew that Renji was doing his honest best, and saw no need to embarrass the lieutenant when he could compensate so easily for the inevitable gaps in his education. Once satisfied with the legibility of Renji's reports, Byakuya turned his attention to the daily rosters and checked that all duties had been delegated reasonably. By the time the first trickle of soldiers emerged from the mess hall to commence their day's work, he was able to start tackling the first wave of the day's correspondences. And by the time Renji bowed his way into the office to report on the morning's training exercises, he had acquitted himself of his immediate duties and was ready to take a short tea-break with his lieutenant. This last practice had only recently insinuated itself into his daily routine in the wake of certain...developments in their relationship, but had become quite as integral to Byakuya's morning as anything else.

It was during this tea-break that the first sign of disruption to his calm, orderly day appeared.

Renji looked strangely ill at ease, sitting straight-backed and proper on the couch in the corner of the office. Usually, he sprawled ungracefully all over it. His lieutenant's stiff demeanour did not escape Byakuya, but he said nothing, sipping his tea quietly and waiting for Renji to reveal whatever was bothering him in his own time. It took approximately five minutes of silence before Renji opened his mouth, brow furrowed ever so slightly.

"Taichou," he began, staring intently into his own cup as though reading a script from its steaming contents, "I heard that Rukia got sent out field last week. Something about a couple of tough hollows out in the Real World."

Byakuya tried not to look confused by this unexpected line of conversation. Unable to discern where it was leading, he thought it best to hedge his bets. "That is correct. She was deployed along with Ukitake-taichou himself." Renji's frown deepened slightly, and so Byakuya hastened to add: "I understand that the mission was a success, and that the hollows were dispatched without complication."

"I'm glad," said Renji, without a lot of conviction, and Byakuya pursed his lips. He wasn't imagining it - something was definitely bothering the other man. He wondered how best to approach it.

"I can send for a full mission report, if you wish to know more," he offered.

"That's fine, Sir." A brief pause followed. Byakuya continued to sip his tea, feeling entirely lost by now - not that he intended to let it show. Just as he was about to put an end to their break and send Renji back out to the training field - surely some exercise would put him in a better frame of mind - when Renji continued. "I also heard that the Captain-Commander was going to send me along at first, but you passed it on," he blurted, and the tips of his ears began to turn pink, clashing impressively with his hair.

Byakuya managed to conceal his surprise, but only barely. "Also correct," he said, watching his lieutenant's face carefully for any clues as to where this was heading. "You were initially selected to accompany Rukia, but I was ill-placed to compensate for your absence at that time. Fortunately, Ukitake was more than happy to take on the mission himself."

"I see." A long, uncomfortable silence fell between them, during which Renji chewed on his lip and looked pointedly at everything except Byakuya. "I'd better get back to work," Renji said eventually, standing up too quickly and almost tripping over the leg of the couch. "Thanks for the tea, Taichou."

Byakuya watched his lieutenant scurry from the room, frowning perplexedly. Frankly, he couldn't begin to guess at what had gotten into the other man - ordinarily Renji drew these breaks of theirs out as long as possible, jumping eagerly from topic to topic of conversation and periodically attempting to cajole Byakuya into relaxing his standards regarding sex in the office (it hadn't yet worked, but there had been a few near misses). Whatever it was that was bothering Renji today, though, had thrown their shared daily routine out completely. Well, he thought, it couldn't really be helped. He would just use the extra time to get some more work done, and give Renji some time to let this unknown issue settle. There was no point in getting irritable about it.

In the evenings, once the rest of the Division had headed back to their quarters, it was Byakuya's habit to meet Renji at the training field for a sparring match. Renji himself had instituted this particular habit - he had, in fact, begged and pleaded for his captain to take a more hands-on role in his training, once the Winter War had shown them just how badly the soldiers of the Gotei 13 needed to improve if they were to fulfil their duty of protecting Soul Society. Byakuya didn't intend to mention it, but he was very pleased with Renji's recent progress - his strength was increasing rapidly, and his control of that clumsy, oversized bankai of his had improved so that Zabimaru now made a truly formidable weapon. Byakuya was finding that he could no longer afford to let his guard down during their matches, and once or twice had even found himself pressed by the ferocity of his lieutenant's attacks to use his own powers earlier than he had intended.

As expected, Renji seemed to have recovered from his former bad mood when Byakuya met him on the field, red hair wild and messy, already sweating - apparently, he had begun tonight's training by himself.

"Taichou," he greeted cheerfully, sheathing his sword and hurrying over. "You ready to get started?"

Byakuya raised an eyebrow. "You're rather eager today," he said, eyeing the tangled locks of hair that had come loose from Renji's high ponytail in his exertion. "Don't tell me you've worn yourself out before my arrival?"

Renji scoffed. "You wish, Sir. I'd never go that easy on you."

"I see," said Byakuya, and lunged.

Renji just barely managed to draw his sword in time to block the first blow, and then they were off - a whirl of constant, dizzying motion, the clash of steel against steel. After his opening attack Byakuya allowed Renji to take the initiative, falling back on defense as the lieutenant let forth a barrage of blows. Each strike jarred his wrists with its force, but the onslaught was predictable in its timing and nowhere near fast enough to pose a threat. He spent a few more minutes focusing on defense to let Renji burn off his initial surge of enthusiasm, then flash-stepped around behind him on one of his forward lunges and lashed out at his undefended left side. He had hoped Renji would be able to react in time to block, but it seemed he was not going to make it in time and Byakuya pulled the blow with mere millimetres to spare.

Renji leaped back, eyes narrowing. "You left yourself open," Byakuya told him coolly. "We have discussed this. Do not get so carried away in attacking that you forget to guard yourself."

"Sir," acknowledged Renji; there was a distinct note of tension in his voice.

"Now, recover."

Renji resumed position and they began again. Byakuya did not wait for his lieutenant to launch a new volley of attacks, but sprung forward with a quick series of lunges and feints that forced Renji back until his back hit the fence of the training area. Byakuya withdrew at once, frowning.

"Your performance is abysmal today," he said, unimpressed. "What's the matter?"

For just a fraction of a second, something like anger flashed in Renji's eyes; he concealed it at once, however. "Nothing, Taichou," he replied in tones of strained politeness. "Please forgive me."

Byakuya was not fooled, but he saw no reason to press the issue. "Very well," he said. "Let us retire for the day."

"No!" Renji started forward, looking unreasonably distressed by the prospect; Byakuya fixed him with a sharp glare, and he caught himself. "I mean...I'm sorry, Sir. I guess I overdid it earlier, after all."

Byakuya softened slightly; he'd expected as much, as soon as he saw the state Renji was in when he had arrived. "You need to be more conscious of your limits," he said, deliberately keeping the bite out of his tone - not that this meant much to Renji, who was gnawing on his lip as if trying to forcibly hold back a bitter reply. "Training is of little use if you damage yourself in the process."

"Of course, Sir," said Renji, and he gave a small bow that knocked the next words straight out of Byakuya's mouth. It was unlike him to be so formal - especially when Byakuya had just effectively called an end to their official working interactions for the day. He watched silently as Renji departed, holding himself poker-straight and oddly stiff until he vanished around the corner of the barracks.

Let it go, Byakuya told himself. He couldn't begin to imagine what was bothering Renji, but clearly today was a bad day; there was nothing to be gained from getting upset about the oddly spiky behaviour. He simply put it out of his mind and headed off homewards, resolved to give the matter as much space as it needed to sort itself out.

Four days later, Byakuya was feeling distinctly less magnanimous.

Not only had Renji entirely neglected to resolve whatever issue was plaguing him in his own time, but more and more it appeared to be affecting his job performance. He had become very distant, seemingly going out of his way to avoid interaction with his captain. Byakuya wasn't going to make a fuss about this in regards to their private relationship, but when it came to their working one - well, it was difficult to run an effective division when your second-in-command wasn't speaking to you. Moreover, just that afternoon, Byakuya had witnessed Renji bungle an easy training drill, lose his temper with the watching soldiers, and storm from the room in high dudgeon a full half-hour before the training session he was leading was due to finish. He could not help but be aware that Renji had been performing more than adequately until he had realised that Byakuya was watching him.

Byakuya was trying to be accommodating, but the fact of the matter was that he was at an utter loss. Renji had no long-lost siblings to worry about, and he had not been sentenced to execution lately, which meant that all of Byakuya's pre-established paradigms for dealing with upset loved ones were rendered useless. There were no obvious injuries or other physical complaints, nor had he assigned the lieutenant any particularly onerous work recently - in short, he could think of nothing that could have precipitated Renji's abrupt descent into this most sullen of moods. Byakuya was really starting to think he should do something about it. After all, if Renji continued messing up on the job, he would be forced to take disciplinary measures, which he truly did not wish to do.

No. A more direct approach was warranted.

It was an unfortunate reality that Kuchiki Byakuya had never been especially proficient in the field of direct approaches - not when it came to interpersonal relationships, at least. Directness was not a prized trait among Soul Society's upper nobility. He knew how to issue commands, of course, and knew equally well how to navigate the landscape of etiquette and deference required for successful interaction with his aristocratic peers; however, he couldn't help but think that neither of those formulas would enjoy much success in this instance, and there really wasn't much else in his repertoire. So it was with unwavering resolve but a distinct lack of plan that Byakuya summoned Renji to his office that evening, once the rank and file had cleared off for the day and all was peaceful.

"Tell me what is bothering you," he said without preamble, doing his very best to make the words sound like a tactful enquiry rather than a battlefield command. Apparently it wasn't very effective, because Renji bristled slightly.

"Nothing's bothering me, Taichou," he muttered gruffly, staring determinedly at his feet.

"Nonsense."

Renji looked up then, and met his gaze with a fierce glare. Byakuya blinked calmly at him, determined not to give way, and for several moments a tense silence reigned. Then Renji seemed to sag, and just like that, the fight went out of him.

"Ok, then, Sir," he said with a sigh. "With all due respect, though, I don't think you're going to like it."

Byakuya frowned slightly. "Speak."

"You really don't trust me, do you?" Renji said, dropping all formality and flopping down onto the couch with a heavy sigh.

Byakuya resisted the urge to gape at him. Where had this come from? He rose from his seat and moved over to join Renji on the couch. "I beg your pardon?"

"I've watched Rukia's back since we were kids, you know," Renji continued mournfully. "But you still don't trust me to take her out on a routine mission to the Real World." His voice was picking up speed as he went, and it seemed that the floodgates were well and truly breaking open. "And what does it take to impress you, anyway, Sir? It's always 'Renji, your performance is abysmal today,' and 'Renji, you're not remembering to guard yourself,' and no matter how hard I work I'm never up to your goddamn standards. Even when I half kill myself training to get better, you just tell me off for wearing myself out!" Now his voice was rising in pitch as well as in speed; he sat up off the couch, gesturing wildly as he spoke. "And you know what, you don't trust Rukia's abilities either, and it bugs me. As if she needs a captain to go with her on every little assignment! She's taken out far worse enemies than those hollows by herself, but you're just so damn overprotective, you won't let her do her job without an armed guard! Can't you give us a little credit sometimes? Just because we're not as good as you doesn't mean we're completely fucking incompetent."

Tirade complete, Renji sunk back into the couch again, breathing heavily. A rather shell-shocked silence ensued, while Byakuya attempted to absorb his lieutenant's heated words.

"Renji," he said, once it had all sunk in a little, "what are you talking about?"

Renji stared at him incredulously. "Come off it, Taichou," he said. "What was that stunt you pulled last week, handing my work off to Ukitake-taichou?"

"That's what has been bothering you?" Byakuya shook his head impatiently. "Renji, I already told you. I needed you in the office at that point, and so Ukitake volunteered for the role himself. I think he saw it as a good opportunity to observe Rukia's progress. It had nothing to do with my perceptions of your ability, or of Rukia's."

Renji hesitated. A dark blush began working its way up his neck. "Oh," he said quietly. "Right. Ok."

Byakuya rose to his feet. "I'm getting us some tea," he said.

"Sir, you don't have to - I'll do it-"

"I'm getting us some tea," he repeated firmly. Renji gave a reluctant nod, and sat back and watched while Byakuya prepared the beverage in silence. When they were both seated across from each other once more, two steaming cups resting on the table between them, Byakuya carefully scrutinised the lieutenant and saw, to his exacerbation, that a dark flush still lingered on his cheeks. "You're still upset," he said curtly.

The look Renji gave him then was nothing short of mulish, and Byakuya felt his own temper begin to rise. He pushed it back, though, and waited as patiently as he could for Renji to speak.

"No offense," said the lieutenant at length, "but I don't feel like I can really talk to you when you're like this."

Byakuya's irritation caught in his throat, and he felt his eyes narrow in spite of himself. "What do you mean?" he demanded, rather more sharply than he intended, but finding that patience was rapidly deserting him. He had already sat calmly through one outburst from Renji, had he not? He had done his best to bury this conflict, ridiculous as it was. At this point, he felt, Renji was being unreasonable, and he was very close to saying as much.

Renji held his hands up then, a placating gesture, and his voice remained soft, almost meek. "I'm sorry, Taichou," he said. "I'll fall in line, ok? But I can't talk to my commanding officer about this."

Byakuya's frown deepened. "I don't know what you mean."

Renji sighed softly. "I mean this is something I need to talk about with my-" he paused, lips shaped awkwardly around a word neither of them had spoken aloud yet - "with someone who's on equal footing with me," he amended, cheeks reddening still more.

Caught off-guard, Byakuya found his anger dissipating as quickly as it has arisen. Feeling suddenly as uncomfortable as Renji now looked, he picked up his tea cup for something to do with his hands, cradling the warm porcelain as he considered Renji's statement.

"Alright," he said, after a lengthy pause. "I will try to hear you out in that capacity. And you may stop calling me 'Sir'," he added as an afterthought.

"Cheers." Renji lifted his own cup, swilling its contents moodily. "You really don't have a lot of faith in me," he began.

Byakuya felt his impatience rise again. "It is as I said. That mission had nothing to-"

"It's not just the mission," said Renji sharply, and Byakuya fell silent. His irritation swelled further at the interruption, but he had a feeling that if he reprimanded the other man now, this conversation would come to a screeching halt. "When we spar," continued Renji, "you always pull your blows. You handle me with kid gloves, like you think I can't take it."

"I..." Once again, Byakuya found himself at a complete loss. "I have no desire to see you hurt," he said, even though the words pained him with their sentimentality.

"I know that already," said Renji, with a small roll of his eyes. "But that's not the point." He leaned forward earnestly in his seat, propping his elbows on his knees. "You know me, Byakuya. Getting knocked around a bit is how I learn best. I'm tough, and I bounce back. You fight me as though a flick of your wrist could completely annihilate me, and...I know you're stronger than me, but I'm not that far behind, am I? I just want you to give me a little credit here."

Byakuya swallowed, trying to process this. His mouth felt rather dry. "You want me to treat you more roughly in training, then?" he asked, feeling ridiculous even as the words left his mouth.

"No," Renji corrected him. "I want you to respect me enough to realise I'm not just gonna break. I know we're not equals, Byakuya, and I'm ok with that. But I want you to treat me like I'm at least worth your time. And if we're going to train together, I want you to treat me like I'm worth training."

He was leaning in even closer now. Byakuya swallowed again, and the table between them suddenly seemed a very flimsy barrier indeed. "I understand," he managed. Truthfully, he still felt a little shaken by the conversation, but it seemed that he had gotten something right- the frustration in Renji's eyes had melted away, to be replaced by something much warmer and more affectionate.

"You know," said Renji, reaching out to clasp one of his hands - the warmth of his touch made Byakuya's skin tingle - "I meant what I said about it being ok that we're not equals. You're my captain, and you're from a noble family, and you straight up fight better than I do, and I'd never want you to lower yourself for my sake." Renji turned Byakuya's hand over in his, tracing soft circles with his thumb. "But it's not like that'll all vanish if you just sit back and trust me every once in a while, let me take the lead a bit." He lifted Byakuya's hand to his lips, pressing gentle kisses to his palm. "Like in this conversation," he murmured against his skin. "And maybe in some other places as well." He caught a finger lightly between his teeth, swirling his tongue ever so softly over the sensitive pad.

Byakuya's breath caught in his throat. His eyes widened as Renji tugged the entire finger into his mouth, lapping and suckling in a way that made Byakuya glad he was already seated - his knees mightn't have been able to withstand it otherwise. Renji relinquished his finger and began to trail kisses up along the inside of his wrist, free hand skimming over Byakuya's thigh.

All of a sudden the air in the room felt much hotter. "Renji, what are you..." the hand brushed up a little higher. "Renji, not - not in the office," he gasped, trying to sound stern and commanding but failing quite dismally.

Renji straightened and leaned in closer, brushing Byakuya's hair aside and brushing his lips over the shell of his ear. "Are you sure?" he breathed, nipping at the lobe. "No-one's here to see us. We could just-"

"No."

"Alright, alright." Renji pulled back, looking mildly disappointed. "Can we take this elsewhere, then?"

Byakuya took several deep, calming breaths and nodded, struggling to gather his fragmented train of thought. Surely it wasn't right, he thought, that Renji could overwhelm him so easily with the gentlest of touches.

It was strange - Renji's mood had suddenly become remarkably assertive, and Byakuya felt rather dazed as he allowed Renji to lead him through the barracks to the private wing where the division's members were housed. He assumed they were headed for the captain's quarters, as was their usual habit - but Renji verged off in the opposite direction, and steered them into his own quarters. He pushed the door shut hastily behind them, and almost instantly Byakuya found himself pressed back against it as Renji kissed him with an aggression that was entirely out of character. By the time they broke apart for breath, Byakuya found himself already embarrassingly flustered.

"Renji, what are you trying to-"

"I want you to trust me," Renji murmured, lowering his head to brush his lips over the hollow in Byakuya's throat. "Just to relax, and trust me, let me take the lead just for once...can you do that?"

Byakuya could feel his heart pounding hard in his chest. He was surprised and a little unsettled by Renji's new pushy manner, but the warmth of those hands running up and down his sides felt good, and as Renji began tracing the line of his collarbone with his tongue, he acquiesced with a tiny sigh of enjoyment.

He allowed Renji to drag him over to the futon, already laid out on the floor, tugging insistently at the knot in his obi as they moved. They never had made much of a ceremony out of undressing one another, and tonight was no exception - Renji tore clumsily at Byakuya's clothing, tossing each garment aside with little regard for where it landed; Byakuya returned the favour with, he thought, a little more grace, but no less efficiently for it. The heat of bare skin on skin when they came together again made Byakuya feel slightly dizzy, and they sank down onto the futon together. Renji pushed him back carefully but firmly and straddled him, thick red hair falling down to form a curtain around them as their mouths met once more.

Byakuya gasped into the kiss, torn between the instinct to push back, to take control, and the unexpected thrill he took in Renji's commanding manner. He tried to school his mind away from the haze of desire that had descended upon it, to think this through rationally. Renji wanted a show of trust from him; wanted to be permitted to take charge of affairs between them for once. And he could permit it, he thought. Could permit Renji to continue pinning his wrists above his head as he bestowed sharp, possessive bites all over the exposed skin of his neck - indeed, the light, unfamiliar pain lit a blaze in Byakuya, and he could find not one single reason to wrest control back from Renji at this moment. With a low moan, he tilted his head back to more fully expose the vulnerable skin of his throat.

Renji seized eagerly on the wordless offering, teeth sinking in so sharply that Byakuya barely managed to stifle his cry. The pain was nowhere near his limits, and it felt good...he arched his back instinctively, seeking more contact with the burning heat of Renji's body. Renji chuckled low in his throat.

"So Taichou's got a masochistic side, huh?" he said, smirking against Byakuya's neck. "Go figure." He nipped lightly at the reddened skin already blossoming into a bruise; Byakuya hissed through his teeth. "Let me know if anything's not ok, though, won't you?"

"Of course." Byakuya was too dizzy with sensation to say anything else. Renji resumed his former task, alternating between rough bites and soothing kisses to his neck; he began to grind his hips gently as he went, and the friction sent shocks of fiery pleasure up Byakuya's spine. It didn't take long before he was writhing beneath the other man; and when Renji shifted down the bed, brushing his lips over the soft skin of Byakuya's thigh, the noble arched up again with a quiet whimpering sound he'd never known himself capable of making. Teeth bit hungrily at his sensitive inner thigh, sending a punch of heat straight to Byakuya's groin; he squirmed again, and Renji glanced up at him with an expression hovering between smugness and arousal.

"God you're sexy like this," he said, voice a low purr. Before Byakuya could respond he dipped his head again and, without further warning, wrapped his lips around the swollen head of his cock.

"Renji..."

Rational thought was beginning to desert him, and Byakuya bucked up instinctively into that delicious heat, a deep moan spilling from his lips. At once Renji pinned his hips back down to the bed, fingers digging harshly into his skin. Willingly immobilised in his grip, Byakuya could only relax and lie still as Renji continued to lick and suck slowly, teasingly - and oh god, it felt good. Each swirl of tongue, each barely-there graze of teeth drew a quiet sound of pleasure from his throat; he closed his eyes and allowed the world to reduce itself to nothing but the blissful touch of Renji's mouth and hands. One of those hands was leaving his hip, trailing down past his thigh to caress his balls, then dipping lower still; one finger brushed tentatively over his entrance and Byakuya tensed immediately, eyes snapping open in surprise.

"Whoa there," said Renji, pulling back at the abrupt change, his expression both confused and concerned. "I'm sorry - if you're not into that, we don't have to - uh..."

Byakuya took several deep, steadying breaths, trying to gather his scattered thoughts. "It's...it's fine," he managed, still reeling from the onslaught of sensation. "I was a little surprised, that's all. I don't want you to stop."

Renji blinked. "Are you sure?" he asked worriedly, placing a hand lightly on Byakuya's thigh and rubbing in small, soothing circles. "Seriously, there's no pressure...I don't mind either way..."

Byakuya bit back a swell of impatience at the unnecessary gestures of reassurance. It sat ill with his pride to be treated as a blushing virgin, and his first impulse was to pull Renji back down to him by force and demonstrate beyond all reasonable doubt that he was indeed interested in continuing. However, Renji's words from earlier still sat at the forefront of his mind - let me take the lead - and so he merely caught Renji's hand and tugged gently to coax him back down. A gesture of trust. "I trust you," he said, fighting back the urge to recoil in embarrassment at such foolish words.

Renji, however, did not look remotely embarrassed. Something in his gaze caught fire, and all of a sudden he was everywhere, kissing Byakuya ravenously, desperately; then he was moving down his body again, trailing kisses as he went. Byakuya had softened somewhat in the tense moment, but Renji's mouth reignited his desire easily. He was prepared, this time around, when a finger reached down to tease around his entrance again, and he forced himself to remain relaxed and experience the sensation for what it was - odd, and almost shockingly intimate, but surprisingly pleasant nonetheless. Renji took his time, teasing and pressing but not yet penetrating, all the while sucking at his arousal with a careful devotion that made stars flash before Byakuya's eyes. When Renji released him briefly to fetch a jar of oil, he ached at the loss of contact; and when Renji resumed his ministrations and gently pushed one slick finger inside him, Byakuya forgot himself completely and arched up into the touch, long-ignored nerve endings alight with pleasure that seemed to ripple outwards through his whole body.

The feelings were rapidly overwhelming him. Heat was coiling tightly in his belly, the muscles in his legs trembling. Renji kept up a steady, intense rhythm with his mouth that threatened to send him completely over the edge; gasping for breath, he reached down and tugged urgently at Renji's hair. The lieutenant released him with a wet pop, lifting his gaze to Byakuya's face and licking his lips with a feral smirk that sent a shiver up Byakuya's spine.

"Something the matter?" he asked, hooking the finger inside him so that it brushed past something that reduced Byakuya's intended response to an incoherent noise. Renji's grin widened. "Sure you don't want to stop?"

Byakuya gritted his teeth, biting back another choked sound as Renji repeated the action. "I am sure," he said, with as much dignity as he could muster - which wasn't an awful lot, given the circumstances, but he would not have Renji thinking he had made him beg. Renji merely chuckled, and carefully eased a second finger inside him. Byakuya let out a quiet hiss, unable to decide whether the burning, stretching feeling was uncomfortable or enjoyable. His mind was made up only moments later, when Renji hooked both fingers sharply inside him; forgetting his dignity altogether, Byakuya bit down on the back of his own hand to muffle the desperate cry that left him. Renji kept stroking and stretching, thrusting his fingers into him over and over until he was writhing and moaning helplessly, too lost in pleasure to care about controlling his reactions.

He watched through half-lidded eyes as Renji reached down with his free hand to spread some oil over his own erection, stroking it slowly in preparation. The lieutenant's cheeks were flushed, and strands of hair stuck to his neck - bright flashes of crimson against boldly tattooed skin. Byakuya found Renji almost unbearably attractive like this, sweaty and dishevelled and positively trembling with desire for him. The other man moved over him and he felt burning hardness nudge at his entrance, and then Renji was pushing his way inside him and he completely forgot how to think. The lieutenant kept going until he was buried to the hilt, and then stopped, mouth forming itself around a question or reassurance or request for permission to continue.

Byakuya was having none of that. "Move," he said, his voice scarcely more than a whimper.

They found an easy rhythm, neither fast nor slow, Renji's hands clutching tightly at Byakuya's hips as he set the pace. He moved gently at first, mindful of the newness of it all, angling himself carefully to hit that spot that was driving Byakuya to distraction. The noble wrapped his arms around Renji's back and pressed his face into his shoulder, tasting salty sweat. Renji's breath beside his ear was ragged and uneven, and he could hear the quiet sounds that caught in his throat when Byakuya bucked forward against him. It was difficult, even now, to resist the impulse to take control - to override Renji's pace with his own, to bite down on his shoulder and pull at his hair and make him writhe and moan - but the heat pooling rapidly at the base of his spine was certainly helping, clouding his mind and reinforcing that surrender also had its virtues. Renji felt impossibly hot and hard inside him, filling him completely, and Byakuya could feel himself unravelling with every thrust. It was like nothing he had ever felt - hot and dizzy and far too much and not nearly enough.

Renji hooked one of his legs then, pushed it back and outwards further, and the change in angle had Byakuya seeing stars. He clawed frantically at Renji's back, disjointed syllables of want tumbling from his lips; Renji's eyes were clamped shut, brow furrowed with strain, and his answering moans were tense and urgent.

"You feel...way too good," he said with a small chuckle, the force of his thrusts building in a way that made Byakuya's vision blur with pleasure. "Fuck, Byakuya...never thought I'd get to...nngh..." He broke off with a shaky moan, fingers digging harder into Byakuya's sides.

Beyond formulating a response at this point, Byakuya reached up and wrapped a hand around behind Renji's neck, pulling him down and kissing him hungrily. Tongues and teeth clashed violently, and Renji seemed to recognise the approaching limit for what it was; he worked a hand between them, wrapped it around Byakuya's neglected arousal and began to stroke roughly in time with his movements. It was more than Byakuya could take, already wound as tightly as he was, and when Renji's teeth sunk brutally into his neck he was lost, jerking helplessly in Renji's grip, nerve endings screaming with a release so strong it was almost painful. The rhythmic clenching of his body brought Renji over the edge with him, and the redhead muffled a loud cry in the pillow as he came with several last forceful thrusts.

The next thing Byakuya knew was a face full of tangled red hair, and an unexpected shortage of breath as Renji collapsed heavily on top of him. Dazed and bleary with spent pleasure, he relaxed into the haphazard embrace as his heartbeat slowly returned to its normal speed. It was not comfortable - too clumsy and sticky, and the hair tickled his cheeks and the weight made it hard to catch his breath - but it was enjoyable nonetheless, tender and intimate in a way that Byakuya very seldom allowed. He savoured it for as long as he could bear, which was about twelve seconds, before giving Renji's shoulders a firm push to dislodge him. "You're elbowing me in the stomach," he said, though the disapproval in his voice was somewhat tempered by the lingering huskiness.

Renji rolled himself off and settled down by his side, a foolish, satisfied grin plastered across his face. "Sorry 'bout that," he said, leaning back over again to place an affectionate kiss against Byakuya's temple. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel well," said the noble, arching a brow at the question. Renji looked amused, but didn't answer save to shuffle slightly closer once more, cautiously, as though hoping the action would slip under the radar. Byakuya decided it was best to pretend that he hadn't noticed. Taking heart in his success, Renji reached out and laced his fingers through Byakuya's with a small, contented sigh.

"Tomorrow," he said, "let's spar properly for once."

Byakuya's eyebrows rose higher. "I'll wipe the floor with you," he said impatiently.

Renji only grinned. "We'll see about that, Taichou." He shifted another inch closer, and Byakuya found he had neither the energy nor the inclination to move away again. "We'll see."